When it comes to working with clients, there are a lot of things you should be doing besides just asking for money. The tips below will help you grow your design business quickly and easily by asking your clients for a few simple things after completing a successful design project.
If you have mad design skills and t shirt week on YouTheDesigner has inspired you to start creating and selling t shirt designs…than keep on reading. Today’s t shirt week post is about how to promote your t shirt design business offline. Selling tees is NOT easy and it takes a combination of both on and offline marketing to be successful. You also need to create and build up your brand so that people become familiar with your line. Branding is a very important aspect of the fashion industry.
If you are a freelance designer doing websites and graphic design work for clients, there are certain services your client will often be in need of. For example web hosting would probably be the most common service needed. You probably know a few good hosting companies already and would simply recommend a few choices to a client, but why not sign up for the hosting affiliate programs and ask them to use your referral link?
The current unemployment rate in the United States is at 9.6% as of August 2009. (Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics) That’s pretty scary if you ask me and most people think it won’t get better for a long time! Hundreds of thousands of people are getting kicked to the curb every month and graphic designers are no exception. I’ve spoken about how competitive the graphic design field already is and the current economic troubles have only made it worse. Don’t worry, there is still a light at the end of the tunnel and this guide will help you get there or at least get hired!
Most graphic and web designers spend long, long periods of time in the home office, so why not make working less stressful and more relaxing? Creating a relaxing home office can help you produce better work, reduce stress, make working more enjoyable and improve your mental and physical health. Below I have put together some interesting tips you can follow to create a more zen-like home office and working experience. Feel free to share any relaxation tips below or photos of your own zen-like home office.
Few people realize that the business card has its roots all the way back to the 16th Century in Europe (and the 15th Century in China).
In Renaissance Europe, the servants of aristocrats would present “visiting cards” to the servants of other aristocrats, the first step in any formal social interaction between the wealthy and powerful.
Looking to learn more about viral marketing and videos? Then you should definitely look into the work of David Murdico’s creative agency Supercool Creative. With clients like IBM, FIFA and HateFiring.com, you may have seen some of their contagiously hilarious videos on youtube. We contacted David for a quick interview about his agency and to discuss the field of viral marketing.
Even if you haven’t heard of Firebrain, there is no doubt that you have seen their work with clients like Motown, Geffen Music, Dreamworks, Vans, Metallica, Toyo Tires and the list goes on! Because Firebrain often works with UPrinting for printing services, we were able to score a great interview with the company’s founder, Giulio Costanzo.
If you don’t have a portfolio site yet or are looking to create an easy to update, fast loading and slick looking portfolio than you should be using WordPress. Traditionally WordPress is a blogging content management system, but recently it has been used to be the back end for many cool types of sites such as portfolio sites for photographers and designers.
1. Picking the Perfect Background
When photographing your business cards, spending some time picking out a great background can go a long way compared to just shooting them on your scratched up work desk. Look for something that compliments your business cards color, texture and style. Just make sure that the background does not overpower the actual design. A busy background will distract the viewer from the beauty of your work. Try using a neutral color, a contrasting color that makes your design pop or keep the focus sharp on the design and blur out the background a bit.
Not everyone wants to be “Famous”, but being a more well-known designer DOES have its benefits. Not only will your work get more exposure, but you will make more money! Becoming a famous designer does not happen over night, but there are things you can do to quicken the process and if you are lucky you should be able to gain a lot of recognition if the things you do turn out well. So I wanted to do a 3 part series just going over some cool things designers could do if they want to not only become more apart of the design community, but also gain a little recognition and help others at the same time.
Getting into the world of graphic arts can be an exciting venture where you not only get to express your creative talent, but also earn a great living doing what you love to do. It is a very flexible career choice with many paths to go down and combinations to master. For example you could start off being a graphic designer working for a company, then learn web design in addition to graphic design and start your own design business from the comfort of your home or you could just earn extra money on the side being a freelance graphic artist if you already have another job you want to keep.
1. Express Your Creativity
Probably the most important benefit of being a graphic artist is the ability to express your creativity, while still earning a great living. Many artists are moving towards graphic design because it’s easier to make a living as a graphic designer than it is in areas such as fine art.
There are a lot of things that can turn an exciting new design project into a nightmare for a graphic design business. Many graphic design businesses have experienced these issues below, including myself. The best way to avoid stress and problems with clients is to educate yourself about what can go wrong ahead of time and take steps to protect your yourself.
1. About Us Page
Clients will feel more comfortable working with you if they know a little bit more about you as a person or company. Let people get to know you instead of appearing as a distant entity with no emotions or history. You don’t have to tell them what you eat for breakfast, but let people know who you are, what you are about and how your business can benefit them.
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